Julian Castro

The simmering conflict between the Board of Regents and UT Austin President Bill Powers has cooled down for now. University of Texas System Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa has accepted Powers’ offer to stay on until June of 2015, after initially demanding President Powers’ resignation by Thursday. At a faculty meeting on campus, Powers addressed supporters and explained his plan moving forward.

Meanwhile, immigration issues jumped back into the spotlight Wednesday, during President Barack Obama’s visit to Texas. After touching down in Dallas, the president accompanied Gov. Rick Perry in Marine One to discuss border control and the current immigration crisis.

In Wednesday’s Capital Tonight, we heard the president’s response to Perry’s suggestions, and how local business leaders are framing the immigration issue.

IMMIGRATION FRUSTRATION

While both sides of the political aisle are blaming each other for inaction, faith-based volunteers are already making a difference behind the scenes. Jeffery Patterson of the Texas Catholic Conference joined us to discuss the nonprofit’s outreach and his concerns for the Central American children and families crossing the border.

WASHINGTON BOUND

San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro’s time has finally come. In Washington D.C., Mayor Castro was officially confirmed as Housing and Urban Development Secretary. The Senate voted 71-26 to appoint Castro to the position.

We checked in from San Antonio, where Castro talked about his and the city’s political future. Plus, Harvey Kronberg from The Quorum Report sat down with us to review all the day’s issues, from immigration to political power games.

In a rare show of bipartisan support for an Obama appointee, the Senate voted to confirm San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro as secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

Castro was named as the president’s pick for the position back in May. He had a warm reception the following month in the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, where he was introduced Sen. John Cornyn, a fellow Texan.

Many political watchers have named Castro as a possible vice presidential candidate in 2016, should Hillary Clinton decide to run. Julián and his twin brother Joaquin are both seen as rising stars in the Democratic party, and the new job will give the San Antonio mayor some of the national political experience considered necessary for a potential running mate.

In a statement released after he was confirmed, the president applauded the Senate’s bipartisan support.

“Julián is a proven leader, a champion for safe, affordable housing and strong, sustainable neighborhoods. I know that together with the dedicated professionals at HUD, Julián will help build on the progress we’ve made battling back from the Great Recession — rebuilding our housing market, reducing homelessness among veterans, and connecting neighborhoods with good schools and good jobs that help our citizens succeed.”

Castro will replace Shaun Donovan as housing secretary. Obama has picked Donovan to become White House budget chief.

San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro has accepted the president’s nomination to serve as secretary of Housing and Urban Development. In an announcement from the White House, President Barack Obama praised Castro for his leadership at the city level and said he had high hopes for his time in Washington.

In Friday’s Capital Tonight, we looked at what the possible move means for not only Castro, but some of the state’s other Democratic up-and-comers.

REPORTER ROUNDTABLE

With primary runoff elections just around the corner, some of the public vitriol in the lieutenant governor’s race appears to have died down, at least on television. We sat down with Robert Garrett of The Dallas Morning News, Morgan Smith of the Texas Tribune and KUT reporter Ben Philpott to discuss the race for the state’s second-highest office, along with some of the other races they’ll be keeping an eye on.

PROPERTY TAX PROPOSAL

The promise to lower property taxes is a popular campaign line, but the state has limited power to control how fast they rise. We spoke to one expert in California, where a dramatic change to reduce property taxes led to unexpected consequences.

It started out as a Twitter spat, but on Tuesday night, Sen. Dan Patrick and San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro finally met face-to-face for a debate over immigration reform and border security.

In Tuesday’s Capital Tonight, we looked at highlights from the debate, plus we spoke to Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, whose attempts at immigration reform in Washington have drawn widespread attention.

EXPERT INSIGHT

What does our immigration system look like now? The co-director of UT Law School’s Immigration Clinic, Denise Gilman joined us to focus on the facts about conditions on the border, the reasons for illegal immigration and more.

CAPITAL COMMENTATORS

One of the questions in Tuesday night’s debate centered around former state Rep. Aaron Peña, who’s accused both the Democratic Party of taking Hispanics for granted and the Republican Party of going too far with anti-immigrant rhetoric. We sat down with Peña and Democratic strategist Harold Cook to get their take on the debate, and to dig into some new poll numbers on statewide races.

REROUTING DRIVER FINES

The state’s driver responsibility program is getting a second look, after criticism that it unfairly targets low-income Texans. We heard what local judges think about a possible change.

It’s been 50 years since the Civil Rights Act became part of the fabric of America. This week, the LBJ Library is honoring Lyndon B. Johnson’s legacy in Austin with a three-day summit on the past, present and future of civil rights.

In Tuesday’s Capital Tonight, we took an in-depth look at how the law has rippled through history, plus we spoke to some of the lawmakers dealing with similar issues today.

Click the TWC News logo below to hear a recap of former President Jimmy Carter’s Q&A session, plus one-on-one interviews with San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro and former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour about immigration reform.

THEN AND NOW

Former Texas Lt. Gov. Ben Barnes was one of many lawmakers who helped transition the state away from laws based on racial discrimination, all in the years during and after LBJ’s presidency. We sat down for an extended interview with Barnes about segregation, civil rights and his role in this week’s summit.

POLITICS OF TODAY

Same-sex marriage is seen by many as a key civil rights issue today. We heard from two lawyers from very different political backgrounds who came together over marriage equality.

Plus, we spoke to political strategists Harold Cook and Ted Delisi about the same-sex marriage debate and more.

Let’s keep the conversation going on our political blog! Capital Roundup is an extension of the interviews, debates, analysis and commentary seen on our nightly political show, Capital Tonight. We invite you to join the discussion.

Capital Tonight airs live every night at 7 p.m. with a replay at 11 p.m.